Chapter 31

Disclaimer: Alex Hirsch owns Gravity Falls, not me.

Stan's palms were rested flat on the kitchen counter, head hung over, eyes wide in fear upon learning what was happening to his brother at the moment. He felt sweat drip from his brow line, feeling as though he was about to completely lose it. He needed composure though, not wanting the teens to observe him breaking down fully. His mind raced though, wondering about how much time Stanley had left, before he...he... "How long ago did you see this, again?"

Mabel bit her bottom lip, staring at the trembling back of her great-uncle. "T-Twenty minutes ago...b-but, um, t-time works differently there, r-remember, Grunkle Stan?"

He gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut. The thought of a drink came to his mind, the cool alcohol sliding down his throat to calm his nerves. No, he was in control, he did not need a drink. Think. He was supposed to leave in the morning, to meet up with Claudine, but he now thought tonight would be better. The kids though; he had already asked Manly Dan if they can stay at his place, until he returned. He didn't think asking him to do it tonight instead, would be cons-Oh, who the hell was he kidding? He was going to call the Corduroy's right that moment. He raised his head, turning to the twins, a decision in mind. "I'm leaving tonight."

Dipper gulped, hearing the edge in Stan's voice. The situation was worst than ever and his anxiety was beginning to flare. He couldn't tell his great-uncle though, because he had more pressing matters, than Dipper's issues. "A-Are we going over W-Wendy's tonight?"

"Yeah, probably...go to your rooms and finish packing your bags..." He left the room in a rush, shoes tapping briskly across the wooden floorboards. He entered the hallway by the front door, snatching up the phone. He dialed Dan's number, twisting his finger around the chord.

"THIS IS THE CORDUROY'S!" Dan bellowed into the phone, causing Stan to cringe and jerk his phone away from his ear, as his hearing aids rang.

He shook his head, the ringing dying away. "D-Dan, um, it's Stan. Sorry for the late notice, but can the kids actually come over tonight?"

The volume of the voice lowered, confusion creeping into his tone. "Tonight? Not in the morning?"

"Yeah, tonight. My plans changed a bit and I'm leaving in about half an hour." He explained, glancing at his wrist watch.

"Well, that's fine by me. We already have everything ready for them. They're coming over in about half an hour you said?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, see you then."

"Yeah, bye," Stan hung up the phone, heading upstairs to where the boys (hopefully) were now. They were in the midst of packing overnight bags, Dipper's eyebrows furrowed with anxiety, Gideon's face unnaturally blank. The elder man hardly noticed though, concerned about Stanley clouding his mind from their feelings. "You two almost ready?"

"Y-Yeah." Dipper replied, glancing up from the pajamas he was shoving into his backpack.

"I'll be out in the car," Stan told them, nearly sprinting down the staircase, heading to his brother's old room. He opened the door, revealing Mabel to be shoving her stuffed unicorn into her backpack. "Almost ready?"

She gave him a shaky smile. "A-Almost..."

"Ok, I'll be out in the car," He told her, observing her nodding, before sprinting out of the house, with only his wallet and car keys in hand. He knew that he wouldn't sleep at all that night, driving the entire way to see Claudine. He flung open the car door, turning the engine on, drumming his fingers anxiously on the steering wheel. After a few minutes of no sign of the children, he honked the horn twice. He nearly did it once more, but they emerged from the Mystery Shack, piling into his vehicle. "You three ready?"

From the rear view mirror, he witnessed the twins glance at one another, then stare at his eyes from the mirror. Mabel bobbed her head up and down. "Yes, Grunkle Stan..."

~!-?-!~

When the Stanley Mobile arrived at the Corduroy's, Stan began to ring the doorbell of the cabin several times. The door swung open inwards, revealing Wendy to be there, a moment later. "Oh, hey guys."

Dipper felt hear creep into his face, realizing that was going to sleep in the same house as the teenager he had a crush on. "H-Hi."

"Hi, Wendy." Mabel greeted, waving halfheartedly, smile barely visible on her face. Gideon avoided eye contact, staring down at the doormat with a image of a ax on it. The 16-year-old frowned at the trio, noticing the obvious atmosphere around them, and that Stan wasn't noticing the depression looming about the younger group.

"Ok, I'll be back the day after tomorrow, probably in the morning, so the Shack is going to be close during then." Stan informed the redhead.

"That's like the tenth time this summer, Sta-" Wendy began, but was cut off.

"Yeah, something like that, ok, see you gremlins later." The elder man hurried away, without a backwards glance, and the Stanley Mobile screeched as he bolted down the dirt path.

Wendy raised an eyebrow. "Wow, he was really in a hurry. What's, uh, going on?"

"Ummm, h-he's going to see a f-friend..." Dipper stammered out, deciding to leave out the finer details of the situation.

"Huh. Old people get like really weird about that sorta stuff. Anyways, dinner is almost ready, so you guys can come on in." Wendy waved them in, stepping aside.

The trio entered the premises, Mabel in the front, observing the building she had never entered before. The beams on the high ceiling caught her eyes, the design visibly attractive to her. The railing to the staircase featuring the carving of black bears across it. The rug around the entrance had a pattern of forest greens and earthy browns. She felt her spirits lift, the change in environment pleasant to her senses. Dipper, in the middle, felt a hand grasp at the back of his shirt, causing him to startle. He glanced over his shoulder to see Gideon's nervous face, peering into his own. He mumbled to his friend in a soothing tone. "They're kind of loud people, but they're ok."

Gideon seemed to perk up slightly, the hand releasing his shirt. "O-Oh..."

"Mabel, hope you don't mind, but you're sleeping in my room." Wendy informed the brunette.

Mabel's eyes sparkled. "Are you kidding me?! We can have a sleepover and watch movies and stay up alllll night!"

Wendy laughed, as they ascended the staircase. "Sure, we can watch that movie about the vampires, again."

"Yayyyy!"

Wendy glanced over at the boys. "Theo and Charlie are sleeping in my Dad's and Kurt's room tonight, so you two will use their room for yourselves."

Dipper nodded, thankful about the arrangement, considering how reserved Gideon could be around strangers. "Thanks."

She opened the first door to the right, waving them in. "This is Theo's and Charlie's room. Make yourselves at home."

Mabel and Wendy headed back downstairs, leaving the boys alone in the room. Dipper glanced around, observing plaid coverings on the left bed, setting his backpack onto it, as he thought about Wendy's button-up. He felt heat creep into his cheeks as he imaged the general area and shook those intrusive thoughts from his mind. The freckled boy sat on the dark blue bed, on the right side, dropping his backpack onto the pillow. "I'm guessing this side of the room is Theo's...there's a lot of kid stuff."

Gideon nodded in agreement, though he didn't know anything about the rest of the Corduroy family, as Dipper continued on. "You must be on Charlie's side...woah, he has a lot of books..."

Dipper squatted in front of the book self, removing one, and flipping through it with interest. Gideon gulped, staring at the back of his friend. Tell him, a voice inside his mind cried out. They were alone, so it was the perfect opportunity to do so. Tell him where Jill Rephic was. Tell him Jill Rephic was inside Mabel Pines, right now! His heart thumped painfully, as he opened his mouth. He couldn't speak though. He couldn't tell Dipper what was happening to his sister, knowing the reaction would cause pain. "Wanna go see if dinner is ready yet?"

Chocolate brown eyes stared into his own, Dipper now on his feet. He was losing his chance and couldn't do anything. His forehead dripped with sweat, hands trembling, mouth gaping. "Gideon?"

He wavered finally, mouth snapping shut. His hands clenched and he simply nodded at his friend. He had missed his chance. "Y-Yes..."

As the pair headed on the staircase, into the dining room, Gideon gulped compulsively at the crowded area. He felt trapped, trapped in a room full of strangers, that could have their way with him if they pleased. His palms felt moist, as he observed the humongous bearded man at the head of the table, piling his plate with the pasta he had made for dinner. Mabel was next to Wendy, already munching on bread, as she giggled about what the teen beside her had stated. He jolted, as a hand touching his own. Dipper was beside him, frowning in concern. "Are you ok?"

He gulped, voice coming at hoarse. "...l-lots o-of p-people..."

"They're nice, you don't have to be scared. I'll be sitting next to you."

"O-Ok..."

As the pair settled into the empty seats remaining, across from Mabel and Wendy, Gideon felt himself relax, as he realized their presences weren't threatening to him. Dipper nudged him, handing him the bowl of noodles, and he seized hold. He scooped the food onto his plate, spilling sauce across it, from the other bowl beside him. His stomach growled and stabbed his fork in, twisting the noodles around the utensil. "YOU MUST BE GIDEON!"

He cringed and briefly glancing up at Manly Dan's wide smile. He focused his eyes back down at the plate of pasta laid before him, hands quivering. He nodded shortly, before stuffing a forkful into his mouth. The voice softened a notch, though the 10-year-old remained shaken by the first sentence spoken to him. "I heard you've been living with the Pines."

"Y-Yes...s-sir..." He mumbled.

"HEY!" Gideon froze, dropping his fork onto the pile food he had, wondering what he had done wrong. "Don't start all that 'sir' stuff. And don't call me 'Mr. Corduroy' either. I prefer Manly Dan, because I'M MANLY!"

Mabel giggled, while Dipper's mouth tipped upwards into a smile, at Dan's behavior. Wendy rolled her eyes, while the males of the family continued their meal in silence, though Theo's eye twitched at the sentence. "Ok, Dad, he gets the picture. Stop bugging him now, he probably just wants to eat."

"I am simply asserting myself-"

"-to show how a true Corduroy is supposed to act. Yeah, yeah, we know." Wendy finished off.

Charlie leaned towards Dipper, cupping his hand as he whispered to him. "He says that allllll the time."

"Exactly, Wendy," Dan nodded, shoving a forkful of noodles into his mouth. "We need to all assert ourselves."

Theo slumped in his seat. "Here we go, again..."

"ASSERTION!" He pounded the table, causing everything on top of it to jangle, food spilling out of a couple pf bowls. Wendy and Kurt held their own in their hands, preventing the spill, as they continued to eat. Theo released a sigh, beginning to refill his bowl, while Charlie attempted to clean up the sauce spread across the table, patting at it with napkins.

Gideon twitched, observing the food splattered across the front of his shirt. He glanced down at it, grasping at the material, to better view the mess. He felt a swell of anger about his royal blue sweater vest becoming a mess, hands now trembling with fury towards the head of the family. He immediately squashed it down, feeling startled at his emotions. He hadn't felt such a feeling since Jill Rephic had control of him. He paled, releasing his shirt, feeling abruptly ill. "Gideon?"

He jolted, glancing up at Mabel, staring curiously at him across the table. "Did you get spaghetti on you?"

Gideon didn't answer, staring intently into her eyes, mind jumbled. Jill or Mabel, Jill or Mabel, Jill or Mabel, Jill or Ma-? A hand waved in front of his face and twitched in response. The hand instantly jerked away and Dipper's voice reached his ears. The members of the table stared at him, eyes full of varying emotions, feeling washing over his senses. He nearly gagged from the force assaulting him and distantly heard Dipper's voice in his ear. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. Do you want to go upstairs?"

He hastily nodded, eyes downcast, as he attempted to control his nausea. "Um, M-Manly Dan, c-can we-?"

"Go ahead. If either of you want a shower, it's directly across from the room." Dan answered, munching on his garlic bread.

Dipper grasped his upper arm, Gideon rising with him. He glanced up, making contact with Mabel's eyes. They were storming, beginning to muddle together chocolate and a bluish hue. They appeared displeased, wherever it be by his behavior or by Dipper's, he didn't know, but he didn't have the intention of sticking around to figure out why. He dropped his eyes, letting his friend guide him to the stairs. "You ok?"

Tell him. You two are alone, so tell him. His mind was crying out for relief from the burden of the secret. When his mouth opened though, the words came out wrong to his mind's pleas. "Y-Yeah..."

He barely slept a wink that night, haunted by Jill Rephic's eyes, glowing possessively, the memory of lips brushing against his skin.

~!-?-!~

A potato was brushing up against Wendy's ear, as she reached for the squash in front of her, a whisper interrupting her process. "Po-tate-ooooo..."

The redhead laughed, swatting away the vegetable in her ear. "Mabel! What the heck, man?!"

Mabel laughed, heading over to the shopping cart, and replaced it back with the others. Upon waking that morning, the brunette had ate breakfast with the only pair that were awake, Wendy and Theo, before the 16-year-old had asked if Mabel wanted to come to the grocery store. Mabel had beamed, excited about the idea of going to the store, and had agreed. What Wendy hadn't realized, was the fact that the younger would goof around with the food, not that it surprised her. "Potatoes!"

Wendy shook her head, rolling her eyes, before plucking up the squash, and shoving it into a bag. "Come on, Potato Girl, it's time to get the milk."

"Milk!" Mabel cried, running to the rear end of the store.

"Hey, wait up!" Wendy called after her, pushing the cart to where Mabel had headed. She witnessed Mabel throw open the door of the cooler, plucking up a jug in the front. "Woah, woah, hold up. Is that the 1% milk?"

Mabel removed her hand, staring at the label. "Oh, it's 2%..."

"Yeah, we want the milk in the next cooler," Wendy explained, opening the door beside the 2%, removing four jugs of the correct milk. She placed them into cart, eyeing the list, then the nearly full cart. She nodded in satisfaction, crossing off the final item on the shopping list. "I think we're just about done...Let's go head to the registers."

When the pair had finished with paying, they had exited the store, Wendy carrying the jugs of milk, Mabel with the vegetables in her bags. The redhead abruptly froze, mid-step, before facepalming. Mabel nearly dropped the bags she held, upon collusion with her back, and she stumbled back a step, as Wendy groaned. "Ugh!"

"What?"

"I forgot to get the stupid cereal!"

"Oh, I can go get it, if you want me to!"

"No, I'll just do it. Just like wait here, alright? I'll be quick."

"Ok!" As Wendy hurried back inside, plastic bags of milk swinging wildly, Mabel decided to sit down in the shade. The temperature outside was particularly steamy today, the July heat affecting her. She set down her bags, before removing her violet sweater, and tying it around her waist. As she plucked up the bags, she recalled that she had seen a bench, underneath a shady tree on the way here. She glanced around, before spotting it with a grin. She skipped over, freezing in place as she observed who was there. "Robbie!"

The 16-year-old, whose head was laid back against the bench, staring up at the trees above, tilted his head to the side and witnessed the brunette sprinting over to him, bags swinging about. He lifted his head, staring at her in confusion. "Mabel?"

Mabel plopped down beside him, beaming from ear-to-ear. "Hiya! What're you doing out here in the heat?"

"Just thinking...Why are you out here with...are those potatoes?" He questioned, frowning at her.

Mabel removed one from the bag, waving it in his startled face. "Po-tate-ooooo!"

"Uhhhh, what?"

She laughed, shoving it back in. "I was grocery shopping with Wendy!"

He tensed, glancing around for the mentioned redhead. "Wendy's here?"

"She went back in to get some stuff she forgot."

"Oh, uh...that's not...good..."

"Why isn't Tambry with you?"

His heart ached at the lost of happiness. "I don't know...somewhere..."

A frown appeared on her face. "What happened?"

"Nothing, just...nothing...Where's, uh, your brother?"

"Dipper? Back at Wendy's house. We're staying there until Grunkle Stan comes back from...seeing his friend."

Robbie would have caught the hesitation in the sentence, if he wasn't distracted about Dipper staying over at he Corduroy household. Despite the knowledge he had been over Wendy, he felt annoyance swell within about the 13-year-old being that close to her. He wasn't concrete on where the jealously had risen, but was embracing it wholeheartedly, as he shortly asked Mabel further. "Like...in the same room?"

"No, I'm sleeping with Wendy. Dipper and Gideon got to share the same room!"

"Oh..." He replied, feeling foolish about his own emotions. God, he felt immature suddenly, aware that Dipper and Wendy were never going to be romantically together, considering Wendy's behavior around the 13-year-old.

"Did you ever find out where the paper with The Shack's number came from?" Mabel questioned, titling her head, as she switched topics.

"Uh, no," He hadn't thought about that in days, distracting about his parent's marriage falling apart and the lost of his girlfriend. "What about you guys?"

"No..."

"That's weird..."

"...and dangerous..." Mabel continued, staring off into the distance, eyes mysteriously storming.

Robbie stared in surprise at her, finding her eyes to hold a type of darkness...it reminded him of...He frowned, grasping at his sleeves, tugging them further down, feeling subconscious, as though if her eyes shifted to him, they would peer into his soul. Dangerous eyes, hold ideas of demise. He shivered, wondering where such a intrusive thought had come from. "Mabel...?"

She blinked, eyes returning to normal. "Yeah?"

"...are you ok?"

"Uh-huh, why?"

"...you...look sorta like...are you planning on doing something...?" Mabel's eyes seemed to change color for a moment, but he dismissed it as a trick of the light. He was wringing his sleeves, feeling his skin becoming raw underneath. "...Mabel...uh...are you...alright?"

"...Robbie, I have to go. I think Wendy is gonna come back an-"

"My parents are getting a divorce," He blurted out, surprised by the words erupting from his mouth, covering his lips. "Ummm, I mean, ummm..."

Mabel's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Oh, Robbie..."

"Just forget about that...you're right, Wendy might come back soon and I have to do something now and, uh-"

"Are you ok, Robbie?" Her hand resting upon his own.

He gulped thickly, uncomfortable about her concern. "M-Mabel, look, I'm fine an-"

"No...you're sad..." He deflated, feeling caught up his emotions. He wasn't sorrowful, as she believed him to be though. Sorrow wasn't an emotion he had felt in these past few days, no, though he experienced a set of negative emotions pent up within himself. Anger was high in the rearing at the moment, but what escalated further than that was guilt, as he attempted to bury the main emotion aimed towards his parent's divorce. He was...He was..."Robbie?"

Tears rolled down his cheek, though they weren't ones of sorrow or anger, this time. For the first time since he was young, he was crying tears of...He sniffled, releasing a jolt of laughter, before expressing his emotion. "I'm happy."

She stared at him in surprise and Robbie found himself explaining. "I remember when I was nine, my dad looked me in the eye and said 'your mother and I smile and make jokes all the time to ignore the fact that we have to be around dead people and their grieving families'. And, after that, I realized I didn't deserve to be happy, so I just stopped. I stopped being happy and when I tried to be happy again, I couldn't. So, I just stayed...angry and...sad all the time...b-but...my parents...t-they're happy now, about divorcing...they think I'm sad, so they feel worried about me, but I...I can't tell them that I'm happy about it...that they don't have to pretend anymore..."

The brunette processed what had been told to her, before squeezing his hand. "Robbie, you can just tell them. They keep thinking you're sad, so...they're gonna be sad, because they think you are."

"I can't just do that though. They'll think there's something wrong with me if I do that. Most people aren't happy when their parents are splitting up! They were only together because I was born and they'll be upset that they had to suffer for 16 years, just because they thought I wanted them together!" He exclaimed, thrusting his hands into the air.

"...I don't really know if they'll be upset or not, but they want you to be happy...and if you're happy, they'll be happy, because you deserve to be happy, Robbie."

He stared at her, tears thickening, as he heard those words. He deserved to be happy. He deserved happiness. The 16-year-old thought back on his relationship with Wendy, recalling all the wrong he had committed in their relationship. None of those actions caused their breakup though. No, the night she broke up with him, she had told him that, even though she wanted to be around, she couldn't take how dreary he was. He had been insulted at first, but as she further explained, he had nearly cried in front of her. Wendy knew he was never happy, but couldn't fix him herself. She told him that he needed to fix himself, before they could try again. Robbie didn't end up crying in front of her, but he knew she was right. He didn't know how to though, so he wallowed in self pity, until Mabel had helped him. He appreciated it, but his moment of happiness ebbed away quickly, and he knew Tambry wouldn't fix anything. In fact, she further proved he didn't deserve anything, after cheating on him. He had remembered that he didn't deserve happiness. But, now...now...he had been told he deserved happiness. The guilt melted away and he smiled, a crooked one, but he smiled. "T-Thank you..."

Mabel smiled at him, before glancing over her shoulder. She gasped, shoving him off the bench, causing him to fall onto his bottom. "What the hel-?!"

"Wendy's coming!"

Tear and snot were still smeared across his face and he felt his cheeks redden, as he scrambled to stand. "Shit, shit! Uh, I'll see you around, Mabel!"

As Wendy approached, he sprinted away, glancing over his shoulder to witness Mabel wave at him. He nearly tripped over a tree branch and felt laughter bubble up from his chest. He continued his sprint, lips spreading wider across his face. He could smile! He could laugh! He could feel happy! The image of the redhead swam into view, filling his heart with pure happiness. He released an uncharacteristic whoop of excitement at his overflowing heart. He could...he could...he could finally fall in love with Wendy Linda Corduroy.

~!-?-!~

In the populous capital of Idaho, near the border of Oregon, was the city of Boise, nestled in the mountains surrounding the area. A maroon 1965 Cadillac DeVille Convertible pulled up the curb of a local park, the door creaking open. An elder man, appearing quite exhausted, dark shadows beneath his eyes, hair sticking out from underneath his fez in strange angles, emerged from the vehicle. He slammed the door, adjusting his fez, tucking in his unruly hair, before heading into the foliage of the park. He went down a cobblestone path, leading further in, the birds chirping into the early morning. He located a bench, overlooking a pond full of ducks wading throughout it, before sitting down onto it. He glanced around, searching for any sign of people. It occurred to the elder man, that he may have to wait a couple of hours, before his friend would make an appearance. "Dammit..."

He startled as a pair of joggers came by, huffing as they sprinted by him. He hadn't any idea how anyone could waken at such an early hour to exercise, finding it difficult to function himself. He rolled his eyes, before observing the trench coat clad figure, with a matching fedora, beyond the pond, briefcase in hand. He gulped, feeling sweat dripping down his skin, though his face appearing blank. Shit. That man could be an undercover officer, a detective, someone from where the VX was taken, or-shit. SHIT. THEY WERE HEADING OVER TO HIM NOW. He crossed his legs, remaining calm on the outside, as he screamed in his own head. He pulled out his pack of cigarettes, lighting one, as the figure halted before him. As the figure sat next to him, setting the briefcase gently onto the ground, he offered the pack to him. "Want a smoke?"

"Si, mi amigo." The feminine voice replied.

He dropped his pact and the lighter onto the bench in surprise, cigarette falling from his lips, as the figure tilted their head, revealing her to be a woman. Her smooth face, contrasted her true age, despite the minimal wrinkles etched around her eyes and mouth. Her chocolate skin glowed, as eyes sparkled in amusement at his shock of her revealing. "S-SHIT!"

"Ha, you appear to be still one for dramatics, Stanford," She plucked up the pack as she switched to English, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it, placing it in-between her lips. "Just like when you were in Colombia."

"You think I'm dramatic?! Do you see what you're fucking wearing?!"

"This? It is my disguise." She explained, gesturing to her outfit, as she inhaled the smoke.

"Why are you using that as a disguise?! It makes you look damn suspicious!"

"Calm yourself, you are going to attract attention to us, and we do not want that."

He paled, glancing around for people wandering in the vicinity, anxious about anyone discovering that they were speaking about illegal chemicals being exchanged between one another. Not a soul appeared to be near though, the birds chirping into the silence. "Christ, Claudine, this is serious. People think trench coats are suspicious around here, unless you haven't figured that out during all your visits here!"

"And people in Colombia think it's suspicious when you're running around, rolling barrels with toxic waste signs on them, accompanied by the wife of the boss of a Mafia organization."

He growled at the reminder, feeling defensive. "I didn't even know who you were when I first met you, so just shut up! Where's the stuff I need?!"

"Right here." She replied, with a roll of her eyes, lifting the briefcase and patting it.

"...What?"

"I know it is not much, but this all I could get my hands o-"

"That's all?!"

"Yes, Stan, as I was explaining, before you interrupted."

He balled his hands into fists, hunching his head over. "Shit, shit, shit..."

"Is that still your catchphrase after all these years?"

"Just shut the hell up, Willow!" He exploded, causing her to startle at the volume. "God, just shut up..."

"...If this was any other time, I would beat the shit out of you for saying that me, but I can see you are upset at the moment, so I will let it slide this time...but, Stan, what trouble has your brother gotten himself into? From what I recall you told me, your brother's curiosity for the unusual would cause you two to get into all sorts of unpleasant situations. What has he done now?"

His shoulders sagged, hands unclenching, as he composedly stared up at her. "I got him into this situation and I'm gonna get him out..."

Claudine frowned, narrowing her eyes. "You said the first time around, that your brother was making something, which is why he needed this chemical, though you never told me what...Stanford, what exactly are you planning?"

The elder man extended a hand for the briefcase, though she pulled away from his reach. His eyes hardened as she did this. "...Claudine, give it over."

"Not until you answer my question."

"Give me the damn briefcase."

"Stan, please, your behavior is worrying m-" He snatched it from her clutches, her aged hands frailer than Stan's rough pair, causing her to release a hiss of pain from the chafing friction. "Ay!"

"We're done here," He informed her, standing from the bench, snatching the pack of Pall Mall cigarettes and his lighter from her lap. "Go back home to where your kind belongs."

She glared up at him, fuming about his racist comment. "Bastardo!"

He shoved the pack and lighter into his pocket, beginning to leave. "Adios, Claudine."

The elder woman paused in her fury, gaze softening at his monotone voice, realizing the meaning behind his harsh words were meant to be a warning to keep away for her own sake. She whispered to herself, feeling concern well up inside her heart about her old friend, voice thick with emotion. "...please do not get yourself hurt..."

Claudine was startled as he replied to her words, continuing his leave from the park, briefcase swinging back and forth. "...it's too late."

Chapter 31 End

*Translations for Spanish in order of conversation:
"Yes, my friend."
"Ow(Ay)!"
"Bastard!"

Guess who caught up with their homework? That's right, me! And, it appears I finally went through with my promise of Claudine Willow transpiring in this chapter, though my plans for another appearance from her is unlikely. No notes for this chapter, as I find not much is needed to be explained, though I should mention how it's canon now, that Stan can speak Spanish (Pug Trafficking, haha). As always reviews, favorites, and followers are appreciated!